Warning: Spoilers ahead for Batman #114
Tim Drake, the third Robin, recently reclaimed the role during DC's Infinite Frontier initiative, finally leaving behind Red Robin and fixing his continuity. Fans have long been dissatisfied with DC's decisions regarding Tim, which have caused him to have a strange back and forth with his identity over the years. But it seems as though all his progress may have been for nothing.
Tim Drake held the second-longest stint as Robin. First appearing in 1989's Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying and holding that mantle until 2006. Tim then became the hero Red Robin, striking out on his own. The New 52 era brought drastic changes to Tim's history and to much fan dismay, completely erased his tenure as Robin. He returned for a short while under the name "Drake," but that didn't last long. So fans were very happy when Infinite Frontier brought him back to the forefront as Robin. But according to Batman #114, from - Brandon Thomas, Jason Howard, and Jorge Jimenez - Tim still hasn't quite made up his mind on who he truly is as a hero.
In recent issues of Batman, Tim refers to himself as Red Robin, which came as quite a surprise to many. The last time Tim showed up was in Batman: Urban Legends, where he wore his modern Robin costume and is not only referred to as simply "Robin," but even implies that he prefers it that way. It's a small but important distinction that implies a lot about who Tim is and what he represents. This latest appearance is also following DC's confirmation that Tim is canonically bisexual, so it seems as though the writers (and Tim himself) are still trying to figure out who he is.
Tim's self-discovery and personal growth have been a centerpiece of the DC Rebirth era, which is seemingly trying to make up for the New 52's mistakes. DC themselves have made fun of Tim's constantly changing code names and while this detail may seem like DC is undoing Tim's recent development, it's important to consider where this is coming from. This was primarily a Batman story centered around the most recent Fear State arc. It's possible that because Tim was a side presence in this story, it was merely a slip-up by the writer. Or perhaps it's a sign that Tim will step down once again and Damian Wayne will return to the role, as he has his own ongoing series still titled Robin.
Infinite Frontier has brought a lot of interesting developments to DC's characters. It's hard to ignore this small change and what it could possibly mean for the future of Robin in DC comics. While it looks like Tim Drake's identity crisis may be in full swing again, fans will just have to wait and see what happens next.